Crushing of sugar cane



June 19, 1928. 1,674,150

H. w. AITKEN CRUSHING OF SUGAR CANE Filed 001?. 23, 1926 S Sheets-Sheet 1 June 19, 1928. 1 1,674,150

I H. w. AITKEN CRUSHING OF SUGAR CANE Filed Oct. 23, 1926 z Sheets-Sheet 2 June 19, 1928.

Y AITKEN 'CRUSHI 0F SUGAR CANE Filed Oct. 23, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG 7 H19]; WAiikervwi -Md 6 zfiaa).

Alfornqq.

Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITED STATES HUGE W LLACEAIT or GLASGOW, SCOTLAND,

CRUSHING OF SUGAR CANE.

Application filed October 23, 1926, Serial No.

This invention relates to the crushing of sugar cane and particularly to the rollers employed in sugar canemills or crushers.

In the preliminary or first crushing of sugar cane it is desirable: f

(1) To thoroughly break the cane e. g. by sharp ridges on the surfaces of the rollers.

(2) To thoroughly squeeze the cane between the surfaces of the rollers so as to ress out as much as possibleot the juice.

n this connection it is of course an objection if the configuration of the surfaces of the rollersallows a certain amount of the cane to pass through unsqueezcd or insufiieieutly squeezed: to prevent this it is necessary that the distance between the pressing surfaces of the co-acting rollers should be constant or uniform.

(3) To provide channels or the like for the escape of the expressed juice onthe feed side of the con-acting rollers. In the absence of such provision the expressed juice is liable to be, and is in fact, re-ahorbed by the bagasse, so that the, work of expression is to a large extent lost.

Each of the three desiderat-a above mentioned has been provided in sugar cane mills and crushers; but, as far as I am aware, all three have not been provideclin the one pair of co-ac-ting rollers. It is the object of the present invention to provide all three desiderata int-he one pair of co-acting rollers so that with this single pair of rollers a very eflicient action on the cane is obtained and .a very effective; discharge of juice.

To make clearwhat has already been tried or proposed, and the improvement eilected by the present invention, it may be mentioned thatvco-acting rollers have been employed with intermeshing ridges, the ridges being arranged at an angle of 20 to4=5 de grees to the axis of the roller and placed zig-zag, that is in sections, successive sections 7 being inclined in opposite directions. (When in this specification it is stated that a line on thesurface of the roller is at a certain angle to the axis of the roller what is meant 143,744, and in Great Britain April 27,1926.

gaps in the ridges on the same, to allow of nels being at right angles to the axesot the rollers, the other roller being furnished with projecting bands which enter and-troll within the said channels, filling or almost filling the sa ine, these channels commu1iieatingwitht-he rear endsconsideret l asregards the direction of motion otthesunface of the rollerof the said fur-rows and serving to carry away the expressed juice.

The carrying of the invention into effect in one convenient manner will 'nowbe described, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs.

It 1s usual for two co-acting rollersto be arranged one above the otherandsuch an arrangement will be assumed; in/d'escribing the application ofthe present inventionbut the axes ofthe rollers are not necessarily-and usually not in practice-in the same vertical: plane.

Figure l is a plan of a portion faceof the lower roller.

Figure 2 is a section on the line-A, Blot Figure 1.

"Figure 3 is a s of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan of apOr-tion-ofithe surface of the upper roller.

Figure 5 is a ection on the line of Figure 4.

of thesurectionon. the line C, D

T Figure 6 is a section onthe line G. H of;

Figure 4. i v

Figure 7 is a front elevationof-a-pair of rollers, in which however only apart'ot the formed surface of the rollers is}-show.n.-

Referring to the drawings, the lower roller is provided with ridgesia of rounded or arched section. These ridges are inclined at an angle of 45 degrees tothe aris o-ftthe roller, They are arranged zigizag, thatais successive ridges are inclined in opposite directions. The arrangement ot the ridges provides hollowsv or furrows b. as shown. hetween the ridges.

At every alternate plane ot division lictween the. sections of ridges. channels 1: are formed. These are of section shown in Fig ure 2. The. are at right angles to the axis of the roller. The turrow I) oi' each section communicate at their rear ends (considered as regards the direction ot motion o'l the surt'acc ot' the roller) with one all these channels.

The. arrow 7) indicates the direction of movement of the portion oi the surtac ot the lower roller shown.

The upper roller is provided with ridges f which separate rounded hollows or turrows 7. The upper roller is also provided with projectinghands 71 arranged at. right; angle to the axis of the roller and so placed as to enter the channels 0 on the lower roller.

The ridges f are made to conform in section with that of the tut-rows 7). and the turrows 7 are made to conform with the section of the ridges (1,: and the construction and arrangement is such that in the co-act ion of the. two rollers the ridges on the one enter. and fill or almost till. the hollows on the other. Moreover. the hands 71. are made to conform in section to the channels a. the construction and arrangement being such that the hands fill or almost till the channels. There is consequentlv no opportunity attorded for cane to pass through hetween the two rollers unsqueezed or insutlicientlv squeezed. This is a matter which it is of importance to note; it is of very great:- moment.

The ridges f are of a form very suitahle tor hreaking the cane.

It is not necessarv that the angle of the ridges to the axis of the roller should he 45 degrees. Tt is however necessarvas will he ohvious from what has heretotore heen saidthat the ridges must he hacltwardlv inclined and that the rear ends of the, furrows q must communicate with the channels 0. This T consider is a generally desirahle angle. hutit mav be varied hetween 20 degrees and degrees.

Tt desired. the channels may he cut in the roller at everv. instead of everv alternate. plane of division hetween the sections of ridges.

It is usual (as hefore iuentionedi tor the one roller to he ahove the other. hut such an arrangement is not necessarv tor the application of the present invention.

Fl'aving thus descrihed rnv invention. what T claim as new and desire to secure hv Letters Patent iszl. A pair of coaeting rollers having suhstantiallv V- haped cameo and inta lio portions upon their respective peripheral surfaces, one of said rollers having a plurality of equi-spaced peripherally disposed channels tormcd therein throughout its length and a plurality of suhstantiallt V-shapod peripheral channels tormed therein arranged hetween said equi-spaccd channels and having their opposite ends conuuunicating therewith, ridges formed upon the peri 'ihcral surface of the other ot said rollers and adapted to interniesh with said channels of the tirst mentioned roller and said intcrnieshing ridges and channels disposed upon the pcripheral surtaces of said rollers extending completely around each V'shaped cameo and intaglio portion thereof.

2. A sugar mill con'iprising a lower roller having a series of equi-spaced cireun'iterem tially disposed channels formed in the peripheral surface thereof. a plurality of coincidentally disposed V-shaped ridges on the peripheral surfa e of said lower roller and arranged in nested positions. the opposite ends of said ridges terminating with said channels. an upper roller having projections arranged to enter said chani'iels and said upper roller having vturrows Formed in its suriace for receiving said ridges of the. lower roller.

3. A pair of coacting upper and lower rollers for the crushing of sugar cane and tor the expression of juice therefrom. said lower roller having a series at equi-spaced peripheral channels Formed therein throughout its length. a pluralitv of relatively wide and coincidentally disposed Vshaped ridges on the peripheral surface of said lower roller and arranged in nested positions hetwcen said channels, said ridges each heing of an arched formation in cross section. the peripheral surface of said lower roller having furrows formed therein. one at which being positioned hetween each ridge thereon and the opposite ends of said furrows communicating with said channels. proicetin hands formed on the peripheral surface of said upper roller and adapted to enter the channels of said lower roller. ridges tormed on the. peripheral surface of? said upper roller and having rounded furrows formed within said upper roller hetween said ridges and said ridges and furrows ot the rollers having intcrineshing engagement.

4. A pair of coacting rollers for the crushing of sugar cane and the expression of iuice theretrom. one at said rollers having a series of equi-spaeed peripheral channels formed throughout the length thereot. a pluralitv of coincidentally disposed V-shaperl ridges on the periphery of said rollers hetween the channels thereof and arranged in relative nested positions. the other of said rollers having furrows therein for the rcccption of said ridges and projecting hands adapted to he received in the channels of the first. mentioned roller.

5. A pair of coacting rollers for the crush- Uti tit

Ito

Eng of sugar cane and the expression of juice reception of said ridges and annular protherefrom, one of said rollers having a pair jecting bands arranged at the opposite ends 10 of eireuinferentially disposed channels of said V-shaped furrows for entering said formed in the periphery thereof, a series of channels of the first mentioned roller. relatively Wide V-shaped ridges arranged in I hereby sign my name to this specificauesiied positions between said channels the tion.

other of said rollers having V-shaped furrows formed in the periphery thereof for the HUGH lVALLACE AIT KEN. 

